Masa Israel Journey Blog

If it wasn’t for a doting mother looking for a pair of board shorts for her son, the extent of my Hebrew knowledge might still be “Shalom.”

Having just earned my master’s degree in childhood education I spent the summer of 2013 applying for a myriad of teaching positions in New York City. My daily sense of panic in regards to my future was at an all-time high and I took a part time job at a surf shop to keep myself afloat during my job hunt.

“Let me know if I can help you with anything,” I said to a customer who didn’t quite fit the mold of our typical clientele. She explained that she was looking for a pair of drawstring...

Growing up in Baltimore, Blake Yospa, 26, felt connected to Judaism through the Reform synagogue where his mother worked and he attended Hebrew school. However, after his ar mitzvah, Blake grew less affiliated.

"Being part of a religious minority, I considered myself an outcast,” Blake explains.

However, that all changed in the winter of 2014, when Blake traveled to Israel for the first time with Birthright-Taglit Israel. “I honestly did not feel a connection to Israel or any Jewish community until I went on Birthright,” the Towson University alum remembers.

Blake extended his trip to stay with a friend from home who was living in Netanya as a Masa Israel...